70 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



ing to beat the field only beat themselves. More haste 

 less speed. 



I once heard of a very dashing huntsman, who hunted 

 a pack of hounds near one of our learned Universities, 

 and whose field was often greeted by the sons of Alma 

 Mater. These young gentlemen being out for the day, 

 and requiring a good gallop to digest their Latin and 

 Greek, generally tipped the huntsman pretty freely, and 

 they had their burst accordingly, for Joe would give 

 them a rattling cast forward when the scent failed, or, 

 saying he heard a halloo, would go full tilt to the next 

 covert, two or three miles off. 



We cannot put old heads on young shoulders ; and 

 young huntsmen the first season will often commit all, 

 kinds of blunders. Their situation is a novel one, and, 

 naturally enough, they try to exhibit their genius. This 

 desire to distinguish themselves will generally cool down, 

 or it ought to do so, after the novelty has worn off. It 

 is very laudable to endeavour to gain the good opinion 

 of their master and the gentlemen of the country by the 

 display of every talent they may possess; but this may 

 be carried too far. A conceited huntsman is a monstrous 

 nuisance. An observant man will soon find out that a 

 good pack of hounds know their business bett^er than he 

 can teach them, and will do well to allow the hounds to 

 display their genius before he displays his. It has been 

 asserted by high authority that a pack of hounds, if left 

 to themselves, would seldom kill a fox. My opinion is 

 that a really good pack of hounds would seldom miss one. 

 Everything depends upon the system pursued, and the 

 education of the pack. The present system of lifting 

 liounds to halloos and over fallows naturally disposes 



